The number of job applications sent to the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) had doubled to 5,200 a month since April 24, when Panamanian President Martin Torrijos announced the Canal widening project, the ACP said on Tuesday.

Ana Maria de Chiquilani, the ACP's human resources director, said most applications had come from electricians, drivers, welders and cablemen. She said there were also significant numbers of applications from civil engineers, technicians and computer specialists of various grades.

The ACP has currently received more than 62,000 applications, more than 32,200 of which meet the job specifications. At present, the canal project mostly needs temporary workers, welders, riggers, mechanics, cablemen and assemblers.

The ACP will choose and recruit staff in line with the organizations' needs and the progress of the canal widening project, the director added.

Panama is set to hold a public referendum in October on a 5.25-billion-dollar plan to enlarge the canal to accommodate new, super-large cargo ships.

Some 13,000 ships pass the 77-km canal a year, 5 percent of the global maritime market.